


Halo 5: The Offer

by NihilusShadow



Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-04-13 11:43:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14111628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NihilusShadow/pseuds/NihilusShadow
Summary: Jul 'Mdama is dead... or is he? Fireteam Osiris believed they ended the Covenant despot's reign on the frozen world of Kamchatka, but someone out there had other ideas and what happens to the former warlord next could have major repercussions for the galaxy as we know it.





	Halo 5: The Offer

Jul 'Mdama opened his eyes only to find himself surrounded in darkness. He felt weightless, completely unable to feel anything around him. It felt as if he was drifting through the empty void of space itself. At first he though it seemed like a dream, but the sharp pain he soon felt as he attempted to move his arms and legs brought him back to reality. He wasn't sure where he was, but when he stopped trying to move he came to the realization that he wasn't drifting aimlessly in a void. No, it felt more like he was falling!  
  
  
Jul felt the urge to catch himself, frantically reaching out to grab on to anything he could get his hands on. His attempts only failed as he was once again met with the agonizing pain he had felt before. All he could do was remain still and wait for the end, but the end never came. He blinked and looked around the best he could without turning his head, catching a glimpse of faint light below him. The light began to glow brighter as time went on and he felt as if he was finally about to reach his destination.  
  
  
His feet soon touched a solid surface and he felt he was no longer falling. Examining the room he discovered nothing but emptiness. His eyes hadn't quite adjusted to the light which made it difficult to make out any details, but he was certain he was alone inside a Forerunner structure. The light soon dimmed making it easier for him to see. He was naked, but the room was at a comfortable temperature. He sniffed the air, finding it completely odorless and sterile. His body still ached, but the pain was no longer as intense as it was before. Jul groaned as he stood, attempting to move about the room, only to find himself trapped behind an invisible energy field.  
  
  
"Jul 'Mdama." came a familiar voice. He spun in his confined space and tried to find the exact location of that voice, but it seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time.  
  
"Where am I, and what do you want with me?" he asked as authoritatively as he could standing in an empty room completely naked. Blue light began to glow behind him and he turned to see a humanoid figure materialize before him. It appeared to be a hologram of a human female. Like the voice she seemed oddly familiar to him. She stepped towards him and looked him up and down as if she was sizing him up. He found it difficult to read her expression, though he somehow felt she wasn't impressed.  
  
  
"Agent Locke gave you quite a beating, didn't he?" she finally said. Jul's eyes widened as he processed what he had heard. He nearly shouted.   
  
"Halsey?!"  
  
The female stepped closer and nearly shouted at him. "I am not Catherine Halsey!" Jul had apparently struck a nerve. He made a note of it. Whoever this female was, she seemed to be as upset with the Doctor as he was. "My name is Cortana and I have saved your life." Cortana, he thought.  An artificial intelligence of Halsey's design. Why was she here and what did she want with him?  
  
"Why would you save me?" he asked.  
  
"I saved you because I have use for you. We both want the same thing, Jul."  
  
Jul waved his hand dismissively. "I've heard that all before. More human lies." He turned away from her, but she had already materialized on the other side and he met her gaze once more.  
  
"I am not human."  
  
"Real human or fake, it doesn't matter. You cannot be trusted either way."  
  
"You're not even going to hear me out?"   
  
Jul didn't blink and remained silent. He flexed his muscles, which pained him, and tried to look as defiant as possible. She still didn't look impressed.  
  
"I suppose I could always kill you and return your useless corpse to Kamchatka." Jul relaxed his muscles slightly and considered her words. She certainly had him at a disadvantage and she did save his life. He didn't like it, but he could at least hear what she had to say.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"I want you to unite your people."  
  
"I tried that and failed. Even with the Prometheans under my command,  too many of my people chose to side with the false Arbiter," Jul began to pace around what little space he had in his cell. "If my army thinks me dead, then they will gather and return to Sanghelios to destroy him."  
  
"Or die trying?" Cortana began walking around Jul's cell and he turned to follow her movements. "Your forces have already assaulted the Arbiter and failed." Jul closed his eyes and lowered his head in silence.  His hearts ached as he thought about Raia and the promise he made to avenge her. Is it really over? Has he failed her?  
  
"Then all is lost," He said after a moment of silence. "I cannot help you."  
  
"You're still alive, Jul. As long as you continue to draw breath, you can still finish this fight."  
  
"How?" Jul looked at her. "My army is gone, there is nothing left. I'm a ghost."  
  
"There are advantages to being dead. Accept my offer and I can give you the tools you need to unite your people."  
  
"Explain."  
  
  
There was a series of loud clicks and Jul saw the wall behind Cortana pull away to reveal the familiar stars of space. He could see they were in orbit of a planet he did not recognize and as he examined the surface of the planet, ripples began to distort the stars. Slipspace ruptures started to form as large Forerunner machines emerged before his eyes. Jul couldn't believe what he was seeing.  Cortana raised her arms and turned to examine the new arrivals.  
  
"With the help of the Warden Eternal, I have taken control of these Forerunner Guardians. With them I will bring peace to this galaxy." Jul remained silent and he watched more and more Guardians appear. Cortana lowered her arms and turned back towards him. "Think of it, Jul. There will be no more sadness, no more anger, no more envy!"  
  
"If you have control of these Guardians, then what use do you have for me?" Jul asked. Cortana approached him and reached her hand to his face. He was startled when he felt her touch his flesh. She was not as hollow as he expected.  
  
"Despite the power I wield, there will always be those who resist and when they do I will be forced to destroy them." She removed her hand from his face and began to pace around the room. "If you side with me as my loyal vassal..." She paused. "No that isn't right. Join with me and become my Arbiter, and I will give you command of your own Guardian. Return to your people and you can show them that compliance will be rewarded. This way we can significantly reduce the number of casualties and that is what we want after all."  
  
Jul thought about what she was saying. Her proposal was intriguing, but he still couldn't trust her. How many times was he going to be promised unlimited power, only to have it snatched away when it was within his grasp? He was tired of these deceptive games. He turned away from her, looking out at the fleet of Guardians she had gathered before him. It was an impressive display that was hard to ignore. Just one of these machines could end the false Arbiter with little to no effort. She could end him just as easily as well.  
  
"Join me, Jul," Cortana said as she now stood beside him. "Together we will sing victory everlasting." Jul continued to stare at the Guardians. It wasn't long ago he was left for dead on some frozen backwater. Now he was alive once more and everything he had ever wanted was sitting before him, waiting for him to take it. It was all too good to be true, but he couldn't get the promise he made to Raia out of his mind. He had already failed before, but he was given yet another chance to make things right.  
  
He could refuse and die. Or he could join this AI and finally gain access to the Forerunner treasure he has sought for so long. What choice did he have? He took a step forward and then turned towards Cortana.  
  
"What would you have your Arbiter do?"


End file.
